Wine Room Inspiration & Pairing Advice from Home

April 19, 2020

It’s a rainy Sunday here in Houston, and while it’s a lovely day to be cozied up inside by the fireplace, I can’t help but think that, barring COVID-19, I would’ve woken up this morning in Napa, with the only things on my schedule being lots of wine and a fun time with family celebrating my sister-in-law’s birthday. Even though my morning is more Houston humidity than wine country views, I thought it would be the perfect time to dream of what could’ve been, and show off a recent wine & bar room project of ours … because I may not be in Napa, but I can pretend, right?

Today, we’ll take you inside our client’s transformed wine & bar area, where we knocked down walls and repurposed unused areas to create an entertaining sanctuary perfect for our wine-enthusiast clients and the friends and family who gather with them. We’ve also asked a local wine-expert and travel guru in The Woodlands, Catheryn Grivna, to share some of her Napa knowledge and advice on wine pairings - so that even thought we can’t be in Napa now, we can definitely make the best of it at home!

What we began with was an underutilized sitting area, a cramped bar space, and no storage for our client’s extensive wine collection … and so, we got creative. We wanted this project to blend with the rest of the traditional-style home, but reflect the fun personality of the people who would use this space most. We were guided by a traditional style with touches of Art Deco inspiration: a little speakeasy glam, with soft touches that kept the space true to the home.

Before & After of the Lounge Area

With no place for wine varieties such as champagne or white wine varieties, it was important to create dedicated storage for this piece of our client’s collection. For the champagne collection, we carved out what was the cramped bar area and created custom refrigeration units, with enough room to store our client’s collection at the perfect temperature, with plenty of accessibility and ease.

Before & After of the White Wine & Champagne Storage

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And, of course, the custom wine room: built in the unused space underneath the stairs to evoke a true wine tasting ambiance, thanks to our friends at Grandeur Cellars. This incredible wine room is complete with row-to-row storage of fine red wines and a sitting area to enjoy it all - a true wine collector’s dream.

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For the bar area, we knocked out the niche, created a space for barstools and a wet bar, brought in new countertops, cabinetry, and hardware. We designed a barrel ceiling, with these incredible light fixtures that reflected off of the mirrored backsplash and wall art around the bar area itself. For storage, we created custom-designed and a custom-engineered hanging system for the glass shelving, with the help of Designers Hardware. Here, our client could mix cocktails while still being surrounded by friends and family.

Before & After of the Bar Area

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Although the wine country will have to wait until another year to find its place in my calendar, I hope this beautiful wine room could bring a bit of inspiration and beauty to your Sunday - and, even a few happy hour ideas from our friend, Catheryn! Cheers to making the best out of this whole quarantine thing!